Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1887-09-08
JURY DISAGREED.
Ten to Two that Elkinton
Should Maintain His Wife.

Again did curious crowd fill the
office of Justice Riley Saturday to lis
ten to the evidence given in the case
of the Overseer of the Poor against
John Elkinton for support of his wife.
J. L. Van Syckle represented Elkinton
and City Solicitor Sheppard looked
out for the Overseer. A twelve man
jury was sworn to deliberate upon the
case.
Mr. Sheppard called the deserted
wife, Mrs. Elkinton, as the first wit
ness. She appeared and took the
witness chair. Her answers to the
City Solicitor were given in clear,
straightforward manner, and made an
impression upon the jury by the con-
else way in which she gave her
testimony.
Her story was a sad one, and not
one in the room but looked pityingly
upon her. She said that until last
March she had lived with her family
on Atlantic street, but that since Sep
tember last she had led a very un-
happy life. Her husband refused to
provide for her the necessaries of life,
and did not supply her with proper
clothing. Worse than that he had
upon two occasions struck her in the
face. He gave up the house without
her knowledge and he himself took up
the carpets and sold portion of the
furniture before he left her. He sent
her and her children to the house of
her father where they have been ever
since.
AS a reason for the change in the
demeanor of her husband, the witness
said, she had laid it to the fact that he,
as rumor reported, had been too init
mate with another woman by the name
of Porter, and forelady of the shirt
factsry of which he was manager. Of
her own personal knowledge she had
seen little. But one occasion, after
dark, she had seen Miss Porter come
down stairs from the shirt factory fol-
lowed by her, husband. She went to
tl1emand told them that she did not
think it was very nice for them to act
that way. Elkinton told her that he
would attend to her when he got her
home, and it was on that night that
he assaulted her
Since Elkinton had left his family
he had failed utterly to maintain his
wife, but to SONS extent had provided
for his children, although by no means
properly. For herself, insulting letters
had been all that she had ever received
from him in response to appeals for
aid.
Upon cross examination it was
brought out that Elkinton had sent
some material for clothing on Friday
afternoon, but was not received by the
wife, as she thought it might be pos
sible. that it would have a bearing
upon this case. Some other facts were
brought out by Mr.. Van Syckle which
only proved damaging to the de-
fendant. 1t was evident that the wit
ness was able to take care of herself
when Mr.. Van Syckle gave her sharp
questions to answer.
Charles Fort swore that Elkinton
had assisted his children into the hack
at the time when the family broke up,
and the defendant told him to take
the load to Furman Bowen's, on Grove
street.
Furman Bowen was sworn, and cor
roborated the testimony of his daugh-
ter in all particulars and added con-
siderable important testimony that
went to show the utter failure of
Elkinton to support the wife. Cross
examination failed to shake his testi-
mony in the slightest particular.
Mr.. Sheppard offered in evidence,
merely to show the spirit of the hus-
band. a letter which he recently wrote
to his wife. 1t was bitter letter.
1t stated that he had rented some
kind of house in Camden and if she
wanted to come and live there she
could and he would provide her with
Just as little as possible. Under no
circumstances would he live with her
again. He would board in Pennsyl-
vania. He said in the letter he only
intended to do what he had to. Here
the case for the prosecution ended.
After an opening argument to the
jury, Mr.. Van Syckle swore Mr.. Elkin-
ton. He testified that he was resi-
dent of Philadelphia and registered
there as voter. The report that he
was unduly intimate with Miss Porter
was wholly untrue, and that his ac-
tions with the lady were above
reproach.
He related the story of his domestic
troubles, displaying some signs of
emotion, especially when he was
speaking of his children. He declared
that he was. perfectly willing to sup.
port his family if they would leave
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